Corbett announced plans Tuesday to run as a Republican in next year's primary, challenging Iowa's new governor, Kim Reynolds.

Corbett made the announcement in a neighborhood that the city helped rebuild following the devastating 2008 floods in Cedar Rapids. He said that he wants to "revitalize Iowa the way we have revitalized the state's second largest city."

Corbett described himself as a "conservative Republican with an independent streak." He said he would focus on several core issues, including plans to overhaul the state's tax code, protect its water and soil and improve its public schools.